Black Arts by Faith Hunter – a Review

Black Arts
Jane Yellowrock series – Book #7
by Faith Hunter
Release Date: January 7, 2014

Links to order Black Arts: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
When Evan Trueblood blows into town looking for his wife, Molly, he’s convinced that she came to see her best friend, Jane. But it seems like the witch made it to New Orleans and then disappeared without a trace.

Jane is ready to do whatever it takes to find her friend. Her desperate search leads her deep into a web of black magic and betrayal and into the dark history between vampires and witches. But the closer she draws to Molly, the closer she draws to a new enemy—one who is stranger and more powerful than any she has ever faced

Review:

Black Arts by Faith Hunter is the 7^th book in her wonderful Jane Yellowrock series.  I have been a fan of this series, and Faith Hunter from the start, and Black Arts is the best one yet.  There is so much action, suspense, excitement, with a super fantastic heroine; but it is also a story that is filled with so many plots, twists and surprises along the way. 

The story starts with a blast, as Jane’s house is almost literally being blown away, and Jane finds the culprit to be Evan Trueblood (Molly’s husband) using his magic abilities.  Evan, who is always suspicious of Jane, is angry, and wants Jane to let Molly come out.  But Molly isn’t there, and when Evan cools down, we learn that she is missing.  Evan and his two wonderful children, Angie Baby and EJ all come to stay with Aunt Jane, while she tries to help find Molly.  That is just the start; before long, Jane will have a few more different cases that will eventually all come together as one major one.  Between Molly having disappeared; Katie gives Jane a case to find two of her missing girls; and Leo, the Master of the City of New Orleans (MOC), has Jane in charge of security for his special “gather” event. Geez, Jane has her hands full. On top of this, she is now officially Leo’s Enforcer. Whew!

But Jane is not your everyday female.  She is a skinwalker, and if you have read my other reviews, Jane also has our wonderful mountain lion inside her……ahhh I love Beast.  Jane is smart, savvy, strong, talented, and no one can really stop her.  She can be beaten up, bloodied, heartbroken, but she always rises up to the challenge, though this will be her toughest and most dangerous assignments. There is a vampire master , who is out to kill Leo, and has strong magic helping him.  But again, he doesn’t have Jane, like Leo does. 

What follows is such an exciting non stop action filled story. Jane must rely on her own personal team, Eli and Alex; as well as those she works with from Leo’s, such as Bruiser, Derek, and others we have come to know along the way.  The villains are very powerful, and the strongest one yet, who are out to get Jane, and kill Leo; some we have met before (Adrianna) and some new (Jack).  Jane finds herself stumped at times, and attacked quite a few times, but she pushes on to find her friend, Molly, who Jane fears may be too far gone to save.  The pieces of this puzzle, with so many pieces, will fall into place as we race to the exciting climax.  I was on the edge of my seat, as the major battle at the end was totally awesome and mind boggling.  It was heart stopping all the way to the end, and you did not know if any of them would survive.  Jane and Beast, use their combined powers together to fight the fight to the end against an evil so strong, the odds were against them all.

Another thing I loved about this book is that Jane is coming to terms about her past, feeling more free to open up about her not being human (a skinwalker), and if she has to, bringing out Beast.  We also learn more about Jane, especially when she sees Aggie again, and sweats out the answers, and her cute gift, Kitkat.  Romantically, I am not a fan of Ric, he has hurt her too much.  I prefer at this point Bruiser, or even Eli; though in Black Arts, there is one scene that has me opening my eyes to another long shot possibility for Jane.  LOL  We shall see.  

As I said before, Faith Hunter is an awesome writer, who puts out a fantastic storyline with so much action and excitement, not to mention all the plots and details that make you wonder how she does it.  Especially when it all falls into place.  Black Arts is a wonderful addition to the Jane Yellowrock series. If you have not read it, it time for you to start.

Reviewed by Barb